


Long Exposure

by OpenHeart_WickedMind



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-09-02
Packaged: 2018-04-18 14:40:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4709687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpenHeart_WickedMind/pseuds/OpenHeart_WickedMind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry helps Eggsy with a photography project and he bonds with the young man far more than he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Exposure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [petit_moineau](https://archiveofourown.org/users/petit_moineau/gifts).



> I edited myself so any errors are mine. Also I couldn't find anyone to brit-pick. If anyone wants to help me out with that please let me know!

The sedan bumped over a pothole and Harry Hart heard rain start to hit the roof in a slow rhythm. He looked at his watch, checking to see they still had an hour to spare before the art exhibit closed. It was cutting it very close but he anticipated the driver could make it in time. The neatly dressed sedan driver took a sip out of the coffee next to him and the smell drifted to the back of the car where Harry sat. The scent reminded him when he’d first met Eggsy, the snarky barista at his local coffee shop. Harry usually stopped in after work and mostly because he liked the beautiful boy with the rough accent who could carve intricate drawings into latte foam. Surprisingly enough, they both hit it off, bonding over a mutual love of spy novels. Eggsy would show Harry his art and Harry would bring books for Eggsy to borrow. When Eggsy told him that he didn’t have anything to show for his school’s final art project Harry gladly lent Eggsy his Nikon and offered to take him around London to capture some new images. That had been when things had gotten...complicated.

 

The car came to a stop and the driver's deep voice rang out, "Here you are sir." Harry paid the fare and exited the cab opening his umbrella. He closed his eyes and inhaled, the smell of the rain on city streets filling his nose. He walked across the sidewalk to the large black door that marked the entrance to the gallery. Upon entering he noticed there were few umbrellas in the stand by the door and he checked his watch again. Fifteen minutes until closing time, he better make this quick. He hadn't wanted to come but his personal assistant, Roxy, had gently hinted that he should attend. Well, gently wasn't exactly the right word since she'd also recruited Harry's childhood friend and co-worker, Merlin. The two had cornered him in his office and insisted that he attend tonight's event. He attributed the intensity of their request due to the fact that Roxy had known Eggsy for years. Harry had originally thought Eggsy and Roxy were an item but that had melted away under the heat of Eggsy's kisses making his way down his stomach. He pushed that particular thought out of his mind and walked down the short hallway into a large warehouse area that had every available surface painted white. There were only a handful of people still milling around, sipping the free wine, and leaning in to look at each of the exhibits with a critical eye before moving on to the next.

 

"Welcome." A woman in her twenties dressed neatly dressed in a black suit approached Harry.

 

"Good Evening."

 

"Are you looking for a particular artist?"

 

"Unwin." Harry said quietly, suddenly feeling like he didn't even have a right to speak Eggsy's name.

 

The woman nodded, looking for a  moment at the displays. "The photography is on the backside of the fourth wall to your right. It's alphabetical by artist."

 

Harry waited a moment and when it became apparent that the woman wasn't going to show him to the exhibit he excused himself, restraining an eye-roll at the lapse in etiquette, and made his way to the display. When he rounded the corner the wall suddenly felt the length of a football field. Photos in different sized frames hung in clusters around a placard with the artists information. As the alphabet wound down Harry moved closer to the displays, trying to focus his eyes not on the pictures but on the names underneath.

 

_Unwin, Eggsy._

__  
  


Harry stepped back and the pace of the world around him slowed to a crawl. His heart drummed against his chest while his breath stuck in his throat. He could only get out two words.

 

"Oh, Eggsy."

 

The space on the wall held a small collection of large black and white photos in simple frames. He'd expected them to hold landscapes from the park, the hallways of Oxford, and the other places he'd taken Eggsy over the months they’d wandered around London together. But they didn't.

 

Every photo was a candid picture of Harry.

 

One image showed Harry in one of his favorite bespoke suits holding Eggsy’s little sister, Daisy, in his arms. That was the day he’d truly started to see Eggsy as more than the artistic barista that had caught his eye.

 

Harry had gotten frustrated waiting for him after the second time Eggsy had been late for one of their promised outings. He’d gotten Eggsy's address from one of his co-workers without really thinking twice about it. But as soon as he saw the luxury townhouses fade into plan-faced cold cement tenements things started to click in his brain. Eggsy always seemed to have lingering exhaustion in his eyes, no matter how energetic he seemed. Harry remembered seeing Eggsy stuffing a bag full of leftover pastries into his backpack joking about how his mom was crazy for them. By the time Harry had finally knocked on the hollow steel door of Eggsy's apartment all the anger had went away. Eggsy opened and looked wide-eyed at Harry. “Harry, Christ. I’m so sorry mate. Me mum’s gone and fucked off with my fucking loser of a - “ Eggsy stopped short and looked down. Harry followed his eyes to see a curly haired toddler looking up at him.

 

Eggsy knelt down. “I’m talking to a friend Dais, why don’t ya go in and watch some telly.”

 

Her eyes turned to Harry and she cocked her head to the side before extending her hand up to him. “You come in?”

 

“Aw naw Dais -”

 

“I would love to. What are we watching?” Harry smiled at Eggsy.

 

Eggsy stood up and shook his head. “It’s no big deal. You can go.”

 

“Nonsense. The lady of the house has invited me in.”

 

Eggsy laughed and picked Daisy up. “Well, she does run this place. What do ya say Daisy, ya  wanna watch some Sesame Street with Mr. Hart?”

 

Daisy leaned towards Harry shaking her head enthusiastically letting out a loud, “Umm hmmm.”

 

Eggsy led Harry into the small kitchen area that opened up into a living room the size of Harry’s office. A crib was pushed against a divider wall and a mound of toys lay stacked beside it on the stained living-room rug. Eggsy put Daisy down and she scrambled over to the lopsided couch pushed against the wall opposite the TV. He leaned against the small table in the kitchen, his mouth pulled into a hard line as he stared at the floor.

 

“I’m guessing one of the blokes at work gave you my address.”

 

Harry noticed Eggsy's’ change in demeanor as soon as he’d let go of his sister. He knew it had to do with posh Harry standing in the middle of a subsidized apartment on the wrong side of London. The young man couldn’t know what  Harry was thinking. Now that he got a glimpse into Eggsy's life the boy’s decision to still pursue school while working and, no doubt, taking care of his sister brought a feeling of admiration welling up in Harry he knew Eggsy would interpret as pity. So he phrased the words as delicately as he could, “I know what you think about my type Eggsy. Snobs? If I recall correctly. And I’ll admit in many cases you aren’t wrong. But I’m not one to judge a person based on where they hang their hat.”

 

“Aw ‘Arry, ya already proved you’re different from them. Ya know, helping me out. It’s just I…”

 

“Shhhhh!” Daisy’s dainty hush filled the air. The two men looked over and she patted the couch next to her.

 

Eggsy laughed and went over to the couch making a big show of flopping down next to Daisy who erupted in a squeal of laughter. Harry sat down and was pleasantly surprised to find they’d updated the classic children’s show from when he was a kid. Halfway through the episode Daisy crawled into Harry’s lap, much to Eggsy’s protest, and quickly fell asleep. After a while Harry had gotten them both out of the house, treating them to lunch at an outside cafe in a park. Harry was as enamored with Daisy as she was with him. He happily complied to her messy attempts to share her cupcake, resulting in pink frosting smudges across his jacket and face. Not that he minded, it was the happiest he’d felt in ages. They’d looked at each other’s faces covered in pink goo and burst out laughing. That must have been when Eggsy snapped the photo.

 

Harry’s eyes scanned through the photos in the exhibit and landed on another of him in his home. He sat at his kitchen table, half eaten supper pushed to the side to make room for the mass of papers in front of him. He held one paper in his hand and looked at it with a forlorn expression. The company had a harder year than anticipated and Harry had tried every option available to spare his staff from the inevitable lay off. But that day word had come from Arthur, the head of the company, that cuts had to be made and Harry needed a list of names from his group by the end of the week.

 

After calling Eggsy to cancel their planned outing to Oxford Harry had camped out in his office, preparing to take on a task that left him with a heavy heart. A knock at the door had pulled him away from his work and he looked up at the clock and was surprised to see it was already four o’clock in the evening. He walked down to his front door and was surprised to find Eggsy standing on his doorstep with two bags of groceries in his arms.

 

Eggsy didn’t even wait for an invitation before walking past Harry, towards the kitchen. “I realized in all the times I’ve come by we’ve only had take away. Thought you could use some real food. On account of…”

 

Eggsy put one of the bags down on the counter and started unpacking it. Harry was still trying to find the right words. “Eggsy this isn’t really the right time…”

 

“You keep at it. I’ve got this. I hope you like curry.”

 

Harry thought about telling Eggsy to go but then he realized how nice it was to have someone around during such a heart wrenching task. He was able to take breaks to speak to Eggsy about his photography project or anything else to get his mind in a better place, even if just for a moment. By the time he was finished Eggsy had completed dinner which had been quite good. After all was said and done they indulged in a bit of TV before Eggsy said he had to get home to see Daisy to bed. He stood in the doorway and Harry realized he didn’t want him to go but he feared that was a lost cause. There was no way Eggsy would want an aristocratic fossil who couldn’t even whip up a decent curry.

 

“Harry, when this shit goes down people may say things to you. Mean stuff, ya know? But it’s not them, not really.”

 

“Thank you Eggsy.”

 

“Cause if they see, what I see they’ll know how hard you worked to save their jobs.”

 

“What do you see exactly?”

 

“I -” An urgent work related call on Harry’s cellphone had interrupted whatever Eggsy was going to say. The pair said a wordless goodnight and at the time Harry had wondered what Eggsy had seen in him. But this photo showed Harry’s true feelings so clearly, the way his life had been disrupted by this unfortunate event. As he scanned over the other photos he saw that each captured a different side of his personality.

 

A photo of Harry looking wistfully at the trophy case in Oxford University made him smile. He remembered the day he’d finally followed through on the promise to take Eggsy to his former University.

 

As they toured the campus he’d talked to Eggsy about his time there and half expected a bit of sarcasm from the young man. Instead Eggsy listened, which Harry had realized was what he really had needed. His discussion at Oxford prompted Eggsy to open up to Harry about what he wanted for his future on their way home.

 

“I love this,” Eggsy held the camera in his hands. “I mean I’ll always love painting and drawing but I’ve just had so much fun with this camera. Not like a bloke like me could ever afford one.”

 

“You’re welcome to take that to school with you.”

 

“I know. It’s just…” Eggsy’s voice lost its usual intensity and dropped down to a muffled tone. “I really don’t think I can do this anymore. Pretend that I can juggle this shit. Dean’s gotten himself into something new and it’s got mom banging on about losing me to school. And fuckin’ Daisy doesn’t got fuck-all of a chance if I’m out of there.”

 

Harry pulled over just as heavy drops of rain started to pelt the window. “I understand you want to care for your family, Eggsy. As a matter of fact it’s one of the things I admire most about you. But the last thing I would want is for you to pursue a life where you care for everyone but yourself. I’ve seen what you’re capable of as an artist, don’t push that aside to do something that truly isn’t your responsibility.”

 

“What about you?” Eggsy’s face held a sudden flush of color in his cheeks. “All you ever do is for you. Living alone in that ivory tower. It must be fun to come out at play with us common folk. You think it’s so fucking easy for me just to up and leave my mum and Daisy with that shit and his goons pulling them into fuck knows what. It isn’t as easy to leave everyone out of your life when you don’t have a silver spoon shoved up your arse.”

 

Eggsy opened the car door and Harry reached for him. Eggsy shrugged off Harry's arm as he slammed the door shut and walked away into the sheets of rain cascading the city. Harry’s anger peaked at Eggsy’s words mostly because he couldn’t figure out who was right.

 

He felt guilt nag at him as he got home and resigned himself to sipping on whiskey in his office watching the rain trail down the window. He had taken pride in helping Eggsy with this project but that quickly faded away into an unexpected friendship. He felt like a fool for allowing Eggsy to get in so deep without even realizing the extent of his feelings. He fell asleep on the couch in his living room, letting the TV drown out the thoughts of Eggsy and what the boy meant to him.

 

A knock on his door brought Harry out of his dreams of soft skin and blonde hair. He looked at his watch to see it was past midnight as he shuffled to the door.

 

“Who is it?”

 

“Harry. Fuck, I’m sorry. It’s fucking late.”

 

“Eggsy?” Harry opened the door. Eggsy stood in the dim orange light of the front door with the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his face and his hands stuffed in the pocket.

 

“Eggsy, what’s wrong?”

 

The young man looked up and Harry finally got a good look at his face. His hands clenched into fists when he realized Eggsy was sporting a black eye and a split lip.

 

“I had it out with Dean. Fuckin’ told me mum off. Cops came, I ran.” Eggsy's demeanor broke and he he inhaled a shaky breath. “Can I come in mate?”

 

Harry put a hand on Eggsy's shoulder, guiding him inside. He glanced around outside for cops before shutting the door. Turning, Harry saw Eggsy leaning against the wall, his face buried in his hands. He flicked on the hallway light and Eggsy looked up at him with tear rimmed eyes.

 

“Sorry about your floor.” Harry said, gesturing to the small puddles forming around his trainers.

 

“I’m more worried about you. How badly are you hurt? Did he break anything?”

 

“Naw, busted my lip but nothing permanent.” Eggsy finally pulled back his hood and Harry caught a glimpse of red knuckles on his hand. He ignored his inner voice reminding him to give the boy personal space and stood in front of Eggsy, examining his face. Eggsy stepped back, the wall halting his retreat.

 

“That fucking...did he hurt your mother? Your sister?”

 

“Mum got a elbow to the eye tryin’ to pull him off me. Daisy was in my room sleeping. Maybe I should’a stayed but…”

 

“No. No. You did the right thing coming here. Come on, I’ll get you some dry clothes.”

 

They slowly made their way upstairs and Harry showed Eggsy to the bathroom. He turned on the light and gestured to the sink. “There’s a first aid kit under there. Just make sure you clean up those cuts so they don’t get infected. I’ll be right back.”

 

Harry retreated to his bedroom quickly rummaging through his armorer he pulled out a pair of  well worn sweatpants and an Oxford University shirt. He walked back down the hallway, turned into the bathroom, and stopped dead in his tracks. Eggsy was naked from the waist up and examining himself in the mirror. He looked like someone from an advertisement and Harry held his breath for a moment while he reminded himself to be a gentleman.

 

“Uglied me up a bit.”

 

Eggsy was applying some antiseptic to the cut on his lip as he looked into the mirror. The boy’s normally dirty blonde hair was a dark mat plastered to his head that dripped beads of water down the pale skin of his neck. Harry had to thoroughly disagree with Eggsy’s statement as his eyes slowly trailed down the boy’s athletic chest. Eggsy turned to him and leaned against the sink. Harry had to use all of his will power to take a few steps into the bathroom and hand Eggsy the pile of clothes in his hand. He kept his eyes trained on Eggsy as the boy took the clothes from him. He looked at the bruises on his face and wondered the last time Eggsy had ever felt safe at home. A rush of possessiveness hit him and he bit out the words, “that son of a bitch.”

 

Eggsy was in the middle of putting the shirt on when Harry spoke. He put the shirt down on the sink and looked up at him with a crooked smile. “Aw bruv, a proper Harry Hart curse. Impressive.”

 

Eggsy’s humor usually took the tension out of the situation but Harry couldn't help but feel that he was partially to blame for the young man’s current state. “I’m sorry Eggsy.”

 

“You got nothin’ to be sorry for mate.”

 

“I spoke...well, what I said earlier...you were right. I don’t know the obstacles that are in your way. I just wish I had known it was this bad.”

 

“I don’t need savin’ Harry.” Eggsy’s shoulders went taught and his mouth went into a thin line.

 

Harry’s brain encouraged him to make a graceful retreat before he managed to aggravate the mess further but he stepped closer to Eggsy. His hand reached out to brush the hair off his forehead.

 

“I know.”

 

That wasn’t all Harry wanted to say but he stepped back and out of the bathroom knowing he couldn’t say anymore without showing his true feelings. He knew what he wanted to say the young man probably wouldn’t be receptive to. He wanted to say that Eggsy was the strongest person Harry had ever met and that he would give everything he owned to move whatever obstacles were in his way. He’d spent his life giving so much of himself to other people Harry wondered when was the last time Eggsy had done anything for himself outside of his art.

 

He looked at Eggsy through the bathroom doorway. “You should stay here tonight. The spare bedroom is just down the hall.”

 

Eggsy looked at him, still in place by the sink, with his head cocked slightly to the side and his arms crossed. God, he looked beautiful. Harry knew he had to make a quick retreat to his bedroom as his erection was threatening to become too much for his dressing gown to hide. He could go to bed and do what he always did after seeing Eggsy, tug himself off until he was spent and exhausted. Then lay there, remember he was thirty years the boys’ senior, and wonder why he even indulged in such a ludicrous fantasy.

 

“Well, if you don’t need anything else. I think I’ll get to bed.” Harry turned and started down the hallway towards his bedroom. He didn’t get far before he heard Eggsy’s bare feet following him down the hall.

 

“Harry?” Eggsy’s hand gently gripped his arm. Harry turned, looking into Eggsy’s eyes.

 

“Sorry for what I said earlier, in the car. I may not need some fucking guy on a white horse but ya helped some stupid kid ya didn’t even know with fucking pictures which is pretty solid mate.”

 

Harry’s pulse drummed under Eggsy’s hand in time with the clock in the hallway. “You’re not some stupid kid Eggsy. You’re one of the most capable young men I’ve ever known. I have no doubt you’ll overcome any obstacles in your way to whatever you want your future to hold.”

 

The world went out of focus as Eggsy’s lips met his. Harry couldn’t breath, the soft lips against his seemed too unlikely to be biased in a reality where oxygen was needed for survival. He feared any moment he would wake up in his bed, breathless and alone. But it was real, so real Harry inhaled deeply, letting his eyes flutter close. He wrapped his arms around Eggsy’s waist, pulling the younger man against his body. He shouldn’t be doing this. Harry knew the chasm between his life and Eggsy's was far to big to imagine anything could come of this. Pull away Harry, his mind pleaded knowing that this could possibly be the end of them. Harry didn’t even know if there was a them to begin with. All he knew was Eggsy made him feel more alive than he had in decades and he wanted to be selfish. More than that, he wanted to give Eggsy true tenderness and affection, show him how things could be. How things should be.

 

Eggsy pulled back and his breath was hot against Harry’s lips. “Take me to bed Harry.”

 

Harry’s cock had been flirting with the idea of arousal since he saw Eggsy half naked in the bathroom. The kiss had it thick and hot against Harry’s thigh. He pressed against Eggsy, ensuring that the younger man felt the heat of his desire against his jeans. “Are you sure.”

 

Eggsy put his hands and between them and grasped Harry’s cock through the thin cotton of his pajama pants. “ Yes I’m fucking sure.”

 

The touch of Eggsy’s hands pulled a deep groan out of Harry as he grabbed Eggsy and covered  his mouth with his own. Harry did the best he could to navigate walking backwards down his hallway while kissing Eggsy deeply. His robe was stripped away by strong hands and discarded as they crossed the threshold of his bedroom. Eggsy's lips pulled away and went to nibble at his jaw while his hands made quick work of the buttons on Harry’s shirt.

 

“Very nice Harry.” Eggsy hummed with appreciation as his hands slowly made their way down Harry’s torso.

 

Harry chuckled into Eggsy’s hair and kissed his temple. “You as well. I could barely keep my hands off you in the bathroom.”

 

“So, it worked then.”

 

Harry pulled back for a second to see Eggsy giving him the cheekiest smile he’d ever seen. “Oh you little shit. You’re going to pay for that.”

 

Harry turned Eggsy towards his bed and pushed him down on the white linen. Eggsy landed with an “oophm” and quickly scooted himself backwards until he was in the middle of bed. Harry made quick work of his shirt and crawled onto the bed. He opened Eggsy’s pants to expose the black waistband of his underwear, placing a kiss at the spot between the boy’s belly button and the fabric. The faint scent of a cologne Harry couldn’t identify clung to Eggsy's skin, not completely washed away by the rain. He wanted to revel in the intimacy that brought this new scent, keeping his lips placing kisses in quick succession as he pulled of Eggsy's jeans. He heard a sound of frustration and looked up to see Eggsy biting his lip and meeting his eyes.

 

“Patience my dear boy. We have all night.”

 

Eggsy answered him with a moan just as Harry nipped at his inner thigh. The boy had his eyes closed and was pushed back against the bed, exposing the beautifully pale skin of his neck.  Stealing a moment just to look at Eggsy Harry thought one of the most beautiful things about him were his imperfections. How he constantly gave too much of himself, often disregarding his own well being in the process. It wasn’t the first time he reflected on the intensity of his feelings for Eggsy. In the past he’d pushed his feelings aside because he believed that Eggsy couldn’t feel the same. But now that they were skin to skin under the moonlight coming through Harry's’ bedroom window his heart felt like it might burst. He knew this was temporary, there was no way a young man like Eggsy could ever tolerate being with someone his age. It suddenly felt like there was nothing he could do to hold on to this beautiful boy beneath him. Indulging in romantic thoughts about Eggsy ended in the one thing Harry had tried to avoid in his life, pain.

 

Eggsy's’ eyes slowly opened as he noticed that Harry had stopped moving. “Everything alright?”

 

Harry paused, his brain flipping through the Rolodex of choices he could make. He had no idea what Eggsy would do tomorrow morning or the day after that. In reality they barely knew each other. Harry hung on to that thought. They barely knew each other. Eggsy couldn’t stay, he had a life to live. A life that didn’t involve a fifty-something year old boyfriend. Harry couldn’t hold him back from that life. But he couldn’t stop himself from pressing his lips to Eggsy’s and letting his hands gently comb through his hair.

 

“Now, love, let’s live for now.” Harry murmured against Eggsy’s jaw.

 

He felt Eggsy's throat vibrate with a humm of reply. Harry reached down and slid off his pants, the cool air of the room pressing against his skin. Eggsy looked down at Harry’s swollen cock with hungry eyes. “Yes. Please, Harry.”

 

Eggsy grabbed the waistband of his boxers and started pulling them down, Harry grabbed the fabric and pulled them off the rest of the way. Harry looked down to see Eggsy's cock, uncut and thick against his pale skin. He wanted to go slow, knew he should go slow, but he needed to taste Eggsy. He needed to know how his sweet boy sounded when he came.

 

Harry grasped Eggsy’s cock in one hand and swirled his tongue around the tip. Eggsy’s hips bucked up as he cried out “fuck! Harry.” Harry decided to forgo the teasing until a later date and drew Eggsy into his mouth. The heavy heat of his cock against tongue had him salivating in minutes as he moved up and down Eggsy’s shaft. It only took a few minutes until Eggsy’s hands were fisted in Harry’s hair and he was panting while pushing shallow thrusts into Harry’s mouth.

 

Harry closed his eyes and listened to the high pitched noises cascading out of Eggsy's mouth. Incoherent phrases encouraging Harry’s efforts and always with his name added every few gasps. Harry nudged Eggsy’s thighs apart and slid his thumb between his cheeks. It was slightly damp from Harry’s saliva and the digit easily down until it reached Eggsy’s tight entrance. He brushed it lightly and felt the muscle contract as Eggsy cried out.

 

“Fuck! Ya keep doin’ that and I’m gonna come, Harry.”

 

Harry felt the hands in his hair tug to pull him off but he wasn’t going anywhere. He relaxed his throat and took more of Eggsy inside while his thumb swirled delicate circles around his hole. A steady stream of curses poured out of Eggsy’s mouth as he came. Harry swallowed every drop, moving his hands to hold down Eggsy's waist so he could clean him off with greedy licks of his tongue.  

 

“Harry, Harry…” Eggsy’s voice pulled Harry away from his task. He didn’t have time to look up before Eggsy was sitting up and pushing him over onto his back. The younger man started kissing him, still muttering his name when he paused for breath. Eggsy straddled him and pushed him back into the pillows at the head of the bed. His hand wrapped around Harry’s cock, still hard in spite of the distractions and began to move. Now it was Harry’s turn to moan.

 

“That was so fucking good Harry. No one’s ever…” Eggsy paused and kissed him again before continuing. “Wanna make you feel good.”

 

In the small part of Harry’s mind that wasn’t occupied with the amazing sensation of Eggsy's hand on him he wondered what the boy had meant. Surely he must have had sex before. “Eggsy have you…?”

 

“Not with a bloke. Not this far. Not this good.” Harry could see color added to Eggsy's cheeks at the admission before the younger man dipped his head to kiss along Harry’s collarbone. Harry’s eyes fluttered shut as Eggsy's hand steadily moved him closer to orgasm. He felt amazing at the knowledge he was the first to make Eggsy feel this way.

 

The touch of Eggsy's mouth disappeared and suddenly Harry felt his aching prick enter his mouth with one swallow.  With all the years of trysts in Harry’s past suddenly he felt like it was his first time. His body was keenly attuned to every movement of Eggsy’s tongue against him. Eggsy’s palm cupped his balls as his other hand wrapped tighter around his shaft. His gaze drifted further down to appreciate the sight of Eggsy's taut backside moving in and out of view as the young man thrust into the mattress while he sucked Harry off.

 

Never in a thousand years would Harry had thought he'd end up here; spread out on his bed breathless and with Eggsy’s head between his thighs. His mind tried to remind him of his earlier thoughts, to warn him not to get too lost in this moment. Remind him that this moment was fleeting and heated but nothing more. Eggsy had a life to live that Harry couldn't get in the way of. But they bounced off the pleasure encasing Harry's mind. The anticipation of orgasm crept up on him, making his toes curl and his hips arch off the bed. Eggsy must have notice because his pace quickened.

 

Harry wove his hands into Eggsy's hair and marveled at the softness of it. Eggsy's tongue swirled around his cock while he sucked and Harry was gone. "Eg--gonna come!"

 

The anticipation had coiled throughout his body, tensing every muscle in his body, and getting his breathing to a quick staccato. As quickly as it had curled tight the ball of need inside him released, slumping Harry's body into the mattress as he cried out while riding the shocks of orgasm into Eggsy's mouth. The room went out of focus for a moment as Harry lazily blinked his eyes. A kiss on his hip brought him back into the present. Eggsy smiled up at him, pride at a job well done evident on his face. "You alright up there mate?"

 

"Yes. Yes, perfect."

 

Eggsy scooted up and draped himself across Harry, resting his head on Harry's chest. They both stayed quiet for a long while, enjoying the embrace and afterglow.

 

Eggsy's voice was the first to break the silence, "can I stay?"

 

"Of course."

 

The picture at the center of the display was him in bed. His hair was messy and he was shirtless, the sheet casually tucked under one arm. Despite his disheveled appearance there was the unmistakable hint of a smile on his face.

 

Harry looked at the picture of himself and he'd remembered that he'd left the camera on his dresser. Eggsy must have seen it in the middle of the night and took the picture. He looked so happy, it was difficult to keep his eyes on the photo knowing what he'd done the next day. All of the fears he'd been feeling the night before bubble up and manifested in an awful conversation over breakfast. He'd finally explained to Eggsy what he thought was best, they treat last night as if it was a one time thing.

 

"I'm not good for you Eggsy and deep down I think you know it. I mean for god's sake Eggsy, you barely even know me."

 

"I don't know you?" Eggsy had already been shouting for so long his face was red but the calm quietness of his voice made Harry's heart still in his chest. He pulled on his backpack and walked past Harry, hesitating at the door before turning around.

 

"I know you Harry Hart. I know you better than you think. I know you're fucking scared as hell because last night was real. You let me in. But then again, what do I know? I'm just some fucking kid from the street who was a good fuck, right?"

 

Eggsy left, slamming the door behind him. Even in standing in the silence of the gallery the memory of the noise made Harry involuntarily twitch. He stood back and looked at all the photos again as one display. He didn't know the man in these photos, he didn't believe he still existed. He thought it had faded with his youth but here with Eggsy he'd found it again. He felt a tear slide down his cheek. Eggsy had been right. He was scared, absolutely terrified of what they'd shared that night.

 

"Amazing isn't it?"

 

Harry looked to his left to see a small woman in her fifties standing next to him. The name tag on her chest identified her as the curator of the gallery. Her eyes remained fixed on Eggsy's' photos.

 

"Excuse me?"

 

"It is one thing to snap a camera, given how accessible they to kids these days. The digital age. God help me. Everyone thinks they’re the next Annie Leibovitz. Filters galore! Pictures, they’re taking pictures. A photograph? That's something different. A photograph holds a lifetime of moments in one image. Look at the way he framed his subject here." She chuckled, gesturing the photo of Harry in bed. "Very talented this one. Even knowing nothing about the artist's relationship with the subject I know he’s in love. He took all the elements in this photo and turned it into a lovers gaze."

 

"I see what you mean."

 

She turned to him with a smile. "I've already had several bids. Oh! Oh my. You're..."

 

The woman went on to say something else but Harry didn't really hear it. He felt like the biggest arse in the world. Eggsy had seen so much of him but Harry hadn't picked up on it. He'd been too busy trying to keep him out he didn't realize that the young man had long ago scaled his defenses and made his way inside. He recalled their times together and focused on how happy he'd been. _Maybe it's time to grow up Harry, time to take a real risk for once in your calculated life._

 

"I'll take them."

 

"What?"

 

"The photos," Harry reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his business card holder and handed the woman his card. "Whatever you’ve been offered I’ll pay double. Call this number and leave a message with my PA she will get you your payment and coordinate shipping to my home."

 

The woman took the card from him with a smile looking down at his title. "Of course Mr. Hart. It's a pleasure doing business with you. Oh and enjoy your time in America."

 

The information jarred Harry out of his thoughts. "What?"

 

"America? Due to his exemplary performance in our program Mr. Unwin has secured a scholarship to NYU. I thought..."

 

"Has he already left?" He cut her statement short as he felt all the color leave his face.

 

"I'm not sure. I just knew he wouldn't be attending the exhibit tonight."

 

"Shit." Harry didn't care about the looks he got as he ran out of the exhibit and out onto the sidewalk. Eggsy may already be gone, he wasn't even sure if he'd be coming back or how long he'd be in America. Across the ocean, away from Harry. Harry's hands shook as he got his cellphone out of his pocket, he punched in Eggsy's number and listened as the phone rang. The cool summer rain seeped through his suit jacket and he realized he left his umbrella inside.

 

"Aaaay bruv, this Eggsy’s phone. You know what to do." Eggsy's voicemail answered. The beep sounded and Harry panicked, not knowing what to say, and hung up. He looked again at what little traffic that was coming down the side street.  He decided to make his way towards the main intersection, hoping he could catch a cab there.

 

He broke onto the main street at a jog, nearly colliding with a couple walking arm in arm. After several panicked minutes of waiting a cab turned off the street and parked by him. Harry called out Eggsy’s address as he opened the door and slid into the back seat. The stout man's eyes scanned over his bespoke suit, "ya sure about that mate?"

 

"Yes. As fast as possible."

 

Without a word the driver cut back into the busy line of traffic and sped into the night. He tried Eggsy's number again, this time it went directly to voicemail. Of course, he hadn’t answered any of Eggsy’s calls after that night. Why would Eggsy take a call from him now? He muttered a silent prayer as they turned onto Eggsy’s street.

 

The driver stopped in front of the stairway leading up to the second floor of the complex. "You want me to wait out here gov? This ain't the best part of town."

 

Harry doubled the amount of the fair and passed it to the driver. "I'll manage, thanks."

 

Harry got out of the cab and looked up at Eggsy's apartment for a moment before taking the steps two at a time. When he reached Eggsy’s door he put his palm flat on the wooden surface before he knocked. "Please be here."

 

He might have knocked a bit harder than necessary.

 

The nighttime sounds filled in the space after he knocked and he waited a few moments before knocking again. The door swung open and Eggsy stood bathed in the light coming from the tiny apartment. He looked up at Harry with wide eyes. "Harry?"

 

"Eggsy, I can't tell you how relieved I am to find you here."

 

Eggsy's eyes narrowed and Harry could see the memory of their last encounter playing in front of the young man's eyes. "What do you care where I am? You're just bad for me, remember?"

 

"Eggsy, listen, I... there are things I need to say." Harry peered around Eggsy and didn't see his mother on the sofa and no signs of Daisy toddling around on the floor. "May I come in?"

 

Eggsy hesitated before stepping back and holding the door open. "Daisy an’ mum are ‘aving a girls night. Dunno when they'll be back so make it quick."

 

Harry stood in the small kitchenette area by the door, unsure if he was allowed to go any further. The sound of the door slamming shut reverberated through the apartment. Eggsy looked at Harry, arms crossed over the over the bight yellow polo shirt he wore over large black jeans. He noticed his hair was wet and Eggsy's toes stuck out of the bottom of the pants. He realized the boy must have just gotten out of the shower and his heart ached with a fondness he didn’t know he was capable of feeling. He wished this was his home and Eggsy had just gotten out of his shower and they were getting ready to watch another one of those bloody spy movies.

 

"I was afraid you wouldn't be here."

 

"So Rox told ya about America, huh?"

 

"No. Someone at the exhibit did."

 

Eggsy looked at his feet as a flush covered his cheeks. "So you went."

 

"I did." Harry stepped forward, closing the gap between him and Eggsy, and put his hand on Eggsy's shoulder. "It was brilliant my boy. The thing is, I meant what I said that morning. I don't think that I'll be good for you."

 

Eggsy threw his hands up, bucking Harry's hand off his shoulder in the process. "How do you know what's good for me Harry?"

 

Harry put his hand up to stop Eggsy from continuing. "As I was saying, I meant what I said but there are other things I neglected to tell you. I things I should've. Eggsy my life, my career, it's just been easier to go at it alone."

 

"Well that's shit."

 

"What?"

 

"Harry, you've got plenty of people in your life. Arthur, Merlin, Rox...they're mad for you."

 

"Yes, I suppose but not...you see I didn't know how to react that morning. Everything just happened so fast and, Eggsy, I should've given it more thought. I thought I was making the right decision."

 

Eggsy sighed and grabbed Harry's hand. "Ya gotta knock that off ya know."

 

"I..." Harry looked at their hands, caressing Eggsy's fingers with his thumb. "I know. But it's more than that. You are the most unexpected thing. I am so sorry I'm a stupid scared old man who didn't know what to say and only wanted what was best for you."

 

"You’re a frustrating shit. You really are, but I don't know how to go back to life without you Harry," Eggsy pulled on Harry's tie and brought their lips together in a tender kiss. Harry reveled in the sweet taste of the young man he thought he'd never have again and chided himself for ever thinking he could give this up. He pulled back and Eggsy looked up at him with hazy eyes and swollen lips.

 

"It's just as impossible for me. I love you my dear boy. With all my heart. And don’t worry about America. I'd follow you anywhere. That is, if you want me to."

 

Eggsy looked dumbstruck. “You’d go to America, for me?”

 

“We have a location in New York I could transfer to without too much trouble I believe. Is that a yes?”

 

“Fuck yes it is!”

 

Eggsy jumped into Harry’s arms, pushing him to the floor, and proceeded to remind him just how sweet his mouth could actually be.

 

Harry put in for a transfer the next day. They were a part for a few months while things got sorted out but they talked every night and watched Bond together on the weekends. When Harry finally got to the city he got them an small apartment within walking distance of NYU. At night Eggsy would cook them dinner as they talked about their days. Harry had never thought he could be this happy so late in life. But that was the thing about Eggsy, he made him feel young again. Their collections of photos grew as the years went by and Eggsy graduated. But those first photos of Harry always had a special place on their bedroom wall.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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